High school seniors can apply to more than 130 New York colleges and universities without paying application fees during designated periods this fall, including at several Finger Lakes-area schools.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the 2026 College Application Initiative on Tuesday. The state has expanded the initiative from one month to October and November, although the waiver dates differ by school system and institution.
The State University of New York will waive application fees from Oct. 19 through Nov. 2. The state's list of participating institutions includes Cayuga Community College, Finger Lakes Community College, Monroe Community College and SUNY Geneseo in that window.
Ithaca College is listed with a waiver period covering October and November. Students should check the state list and each college's application instructions before submitting, because participating private schools set different dates and requirements.
For City University of New York schools, the waiver runs through Nov. 16 for New York City public school students and from Oct. 15 through Nov. 16 for students outside that system, according to the governor's office.
Fees and application help
College application fees typically range from $50 to $90 each, the governor's office said. More than 300,000 applications were submitted through last year's initiative, which the state said saved students and families more than $15 million.
The program is intended in part to help students from low-income families and those who would be the first in their families to attend college. More than 700 high schools are participating this year, with schools expected to provide time and counselor support for seniors completing applications.
The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation leads the initiative with SUNY, CUNY, state education officials and private-college organizations. The state directs students to its participating-college list for the specific waiver windows.
The fee waivers cover the cost of applying, not tuition or other college expenses. Separate federal and state financial-aid applications are also open for the 2027-28 academic year, but students must complete those processes separately.
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